Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to orthopedic casts. In particular, some implementations of the present invention relate to one or more components of a total contact cast system that can be used in the treatment of an appendage, such as a leg or foot. Indeed, in some implementations, the described cast system is configured to support a patient's foot and leg, while offloading weight from a sore, ulcer, or wound on the patient's foot.
Background and Related Art
People across the world suffer from ulcerations and injuries to one or both of their feet. For instance, as many people suffering from diabetes also suffer from poor blood flow in their appendages, such people can be at a relatively high risk of developing sores, wounds, or ulcers on their feet—especially on the soles of their feet. Such sores, ulcers, and other wounds can dramatically affect an individual's life, limiting the individual's ability to walk, work, and play, and costing the individual (or others) relatively large amounts of money and time spent in, and for, recovery. Additionally, in some extreme cases, such sores, ulcers, and wounds can lead to amputation, which can dramatically increase healthcare costs, and otherwise complicate life.
One important factor in healing foot wounds is offloading the patient's weight from the wound. However, as many individuals (including diabetics) suffer from neuropathy (or nerve damage in one or more appendages), many such individuals often cannot feel the pain that is normally associated with foot sores, ulcerations and/or wounds. As a result, some such individuals may not be highly motivated by pain to reduce pressure applied to a damaged portion of the foot, which may ultimately lead to tissue breakdown, ulceration, and other damage. Accordingly, some such individuals may continue to place detrimental amounts of weight on their foot and/or a wound thereon—thus causing the wound to further deteriorate, and thus, increasing the chances of infection and other comorbidities.
Several casts, boots, and other devices have been developed to treat individuals suffering from foot ulcerations, sores, and other wounds. While some such devices have been useful in the treatment of such wounds, such devices are not necessarily without their shortcomings. Indeed, some conventional devices for treating foot wounds are relatively: hard to put on, hard to take off, uncomfortable, non-breathable, ineffective at offloading weight from wounds in abnormal locations, hard to use with other apparatus (e.g., negative pressure wound therapy), and/or are otherwise difficult to use or ineffective at treating these wounds.
Thus, while techniques currently exist that are used to treat foot wounds, ulcerations, and sores, challenges still exist, including those mentioned above. Accordingly, it would be an improvement in the art to augment or even replace current techniques with other techniques.